How to transfer your existing phone number to a new mobile network: a step-by-step guide to using a PAC code.
If you’re changing mobile phone network, it’s not necessary to also change your phone number. Indeed, you’ll probably want to keep your existing phone number. By bringing your phone number to a new mobile network, you’ll eliminate the hassle of having to let everyone know a new number. You can also be sure not to miss any vital calls or incoming text messages.
In the UK, it’s a straightforward process to transfer your phone number between networks. It’s done by making use of a PAC Code. It’s free to transfer your phone number and the whole process should take no more than one working day.
Step-By-Step Instructions: Transferring Your Phone Number
For a step-by-step guide on how to transfer your phone number, please select your current network provider followed by the network provider you’re looking to join:
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In the rest of this article, we’ll discuss the procedure behind transferring your mobile phone number. We’ll show the process for UK mobile users to move their number to a new network. We’ll also give an outline of how PAC codes work and we’ll discuss some examples of how you should use a PAC Code. Finally, we’ll look at your legal entitlement to receiving a PAC Code – something enshrined within Ofcom’s General Conditions of Entitlement.
What is a PAC Code?
In the UK, a PAC Code (Porting Authorisation Code) is used to transfer your mobile phone number between two networks.
Before you’re able to transfer a phone number, you should first obtain a PAC Code by contacting your old network. It’s free to obtain a PAC Code and one must be issued within two hours of your request. Later on this page, we’ve provided full details of how you can contact your network to obtain the required PAC Code.
Once you have a PAC Code and after you’ve set up an account on your new network (i.e. you’ve set up and tested your new phone or SIM card), you can then proceed with transfer of your phone number. Provide the PAC Code to your new mobile network: either through an online form or over the phone. Your number transfer will then be scheduled for the next working day.
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N.B. PAC Codes are sometimes confused with PUK Codes (Personal Unblocking Key Codes). The two codes serve a very different purpose. A PUK code is required if you accidentally block your phone (this happens if you enter the incorrect PIN number three times). Be sure to obtain a PAC Code rather than a PUK Code.
Obtaining a PAC Code
Contact Details: Getting a PAC Code
To transfer your phone number, you’ll first need to obtain a PAC Code from your existing network. A PAC Code is a nine-digit code that authorises your phone number to be transferred elsewhere. It contains three letters followed by six numbers (e.g. ABC 123 123). You can obtain a PAC Code by contacting the customer services department of your existing mobile network:
[obtain-pac-code-form]
When calling your network and asking for a PAC Code, you’ll usually be passed to the “Customer Retentions” department. Remember: it’s your legal right to receive your PAC Code. Your mobile network must provide a PAC Code within 2 hours of your request. If they make it difficult, please remind them of their legal obligations. Once your PAC Code has been issued, it’s valid for up to 30 days.
Once you’ve received the PAC Code, it’s important to keep it safe and secure. Anyone with access to your PAC Code will be able to port the number in to another mobile network.
Using your PAC Code
Once you have a PAC Code, the next step is to provide the code to your new mobile network. Depending on the network you’re joining, you can either provide the PAC over the internet or over the phone. Before providing the PAC Code, you’ll need to first sign up for your new mobile network. You should then check to make sure your new phone or SIM Card works as intended. After the PAC Code is provided, it’s not possible to reverse your phone number transfer.
Please select the mobile network you’re about to moving to:
[order-box]
Contact Details: Using a PAC Code
Once you’ve verified that everything’s OK with your new mobile service (i.e. you’re getting satisfactory coverage and the phone or SIM card is working as intended), you can now provide the PAC Code to your new mobile network.
The contact details for providing a PAC Code are:
[provide-pac-code-form]
Expected Timeframe for Number Transfer
Once you’ve provided the PAC Code to your new mobile network, your phone number transfer will normally be scheduled for the next working day. There’s a daily cut-off point every afternoon for the current day’s porting requests. Depending on the network, the cut-off time will normally be between 3pm and 5.30pm. If you submit a PAC Code after the daily cut-off time, your phone number transfer will take an additional working day.
Phone number transfers only take place on a UK working day. They won’t take place over the weekend or on a UK bank holiday. The following table shows when you can expect the number transfer to take place:
Day of Request*
Day of Number Transfer
Saturday
Tuesday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Thursday
Friday
Friday
Monday
* Day of Request: You’ll need to provide the PAC Code before the daily cut-off time (3pm to 5.30pm depending on your network). If the PAC Code is provided after the daily cut-off time, you’ll need to wait one additional working day.
You must be in the UK on the day of the number transfer.
Whilst waiting for the number transfer to take place, incoming phone calls and text messages will continue to be routed to your old network.
Continuity of Service
Until the transfer takes place, you’ll continue getting coverage on your old network.
There should be no or little loss of service during the number transfer process.
After providing your PAC Code to a new mobile network, you’ll continue to receiving incoming phone calls and text messages via your old mobile network. This service continues until the time the number transfer takes place.
On the day of the number transfer, you’ll momentarily lose coverage on both of your devices. Upon restarting your phone on the new network, the phone number should have now been transferred. Your account on the old network will be closed automatically.
To illustrate with an example, imagine you’re moving from O2 to Three. You obtain a PAC Code from O2 and provide it to Three on a Wednesday before the cut-off time. Your number transfer might then be scheduled for Thursday 1pm. Until 1pm on Thursday, you’ll continue to receive calls and texts via O2. At around 1pm, you’ll lose coverage on both of your devices. Upon restarting your new device, calls and texts should now come via Three. There shouldn’t be any significant loss of service during the transition.
Expiry of PAC Codes
A PAC Code will expire 30 days after issue. If you don’t use your PAC Code within the 30 day window, nothing will happen: your old account will stay open as before. If you still wish to change mobile network, you’ll need to request a new PAC Code.
Instant Messaging Apps
If you’re using an instant messaging app (e.g. WhatsApp), an old phone number may continue to show even after using a PAC Code. After transferring your phone number, you can use the number change function to update the phone number used. WhatsApp users should refer to this page for full instructions.
Your Legal Entitlement to a PAC Code
You’re legally entitled to transfer your phone number to another network. The right is enshrined in Ofcom’s General Conditions of Entitlement (December 2013, clause 18). Ofcom is the UK’s regulator for telecom services.
According to the General Conditions of Entitlement, you must be given a PAC Code within 2 hours of your request. In most cases, the PAC Code is normally provided straight away over the phone. In other cases, the PAC Code might be sent via text message (SMS). If your PAC Code is being sent via SMS, the network must still provide it within the two hour limit.
There are only a few reasons why your network provider could refuse a PAC Code request:
Failed security check. You must prove your identity when contacting customer services and requesting a PAC Code. If you can’t adequately prove your identity, your network reserves the right to not issue a PAC Code. It’s important to have stringent security checks when providing a PAC Code: it ensures that nobody can “steal” your phone number and intercept your phone calls.
A PAC Code has already been issued. Once a PAC Code has been issued, it’s valid for 30 days. Until the previous PAC Code expires, your network is unable to issue you with a new one.
The account has already been closed (the number has been returned to the network). A PAC Code can only be issued if the number still belongs to you. If you’ve already closed your account, the number may have been returned to the network already. It isn’t possible to recover a phone number once it’s been returned to the network. For this reason, you should keep the account active until the PAC Code has been used.
If your network refuses to provide you with a PAC Code, they must inform you of the reasons why.
If you’re still in the minimum term of your contract (i.e. within the initial 24 month agreement), you’ll need to pay an early termination fee when using a PAC Code and ending your contract early. The early termination fee is usually equivalent to paying off the remainder of your contract (though some networks provide a small discount). Once the PAC Code has been used, the early termination fee will appear on your final bill.
Special Cases
Same-Network Number Transfers
A PAC Code is only required when moving your phone number to a different mobile network. If you’re changing tariff but staying on the same network as before, it’s not necessary to go through the PAC Code process. Instead, simply call Customer Services to request an internal transfer. You’ll need to provide details of both of your accounts.
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If you simply require a smaller-sized SIM card, see our guide on how to change the size of your SIM card (e.g. switching to Micro or Nano SIM). This process is even easier and doesn’t require a call to Customer Services.
Upgrading to 4G: Transferring Your Number
You only need to request a PAC Code if changing network at the same time as upgrading to 4G. If you’re not changing network, follow the normal process for a same-network number transfer.
As a notable exception, customers of Orange and T-Mobile can bypass the PAC Code process when upgrading to EE’s 4G service. Refer to EE’s website for further information.
Switching to a SIM Only Deal
Switching to a SIM only deal can save you up to £240/year.
A SIM Only contract is an airtime-only tariff for your existing mobile phone. You won’t get a new phone when signing up for the tariff – instead, you’re given a SIM card that slots inside your existing unlocked smartphone. Compared to a traditional mobile contract, a SIM Only contract offers much lower rates. You can expect to save between £180/year and £240/year. For more information, see our guide to SIM Only deals.
Select your SIM Only mobile network:
If you’re moving to a SIM Only deal, the process of transferring your phone number is exactly the same. Before transferring your phone number, take extra care to make sure your phone is unlocked. If your phone is locked to a certain mobile network, you’ll need to unlock it before it’ll accept SIM cards from a different network. We’ve got comprehensive guides to unlocking your iPhone, unlocking your Galaxy S3 and unlocking your BlackBerry.
Anyone switching to a SIM Only deal should also make sure they order a SIM card of the right size. SIM cards come in three different sizes: Standard SIM, Micro SIM and Nano SIM. See this guide to find out which SIM card type is appropriate for your phone.
Transferring a Pay As You Go Number
You can’t transfer Pay As You Go credit.
The same processes should be followed when transferring a Pay As You Go phone number.
Pay As You Go customers should be aware that any credit remaining on the day of the number transfer will be forfeited. It’s not possible to transfer your airtime credit to another network. If there’s any remaining credit, it’s best to use it up before the number transfer takes place. As one option, consider donating unused credit to charity. You can do this via the Just Text Giving service (works on any network).
Swapping Phone Numbers During Your Contract
The PAC Code system is designed for people who are switching mobile network. It doesn’t make provision for more complex requests such as swapping the phone number between two accounts. If both of your accounts are on the same network, you can contact customer services to ask them whether they can accommodate the request. If the two accounts are on totally separate networks, it’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to swap the phone numbers between them.
Transferring Ownership of Your Phone Number
A PAC Code can also be used to transfer ownership of your phone number. When giving a PAC Code, there aren’t any checks as to the name on the account.
To transfer ownership of your number, first obtain a PAC Code and then give it to the person you’d like to take over your old phone number. Please be aware that there could be privacy implications when transferring your phone number to someone else. Any phone calls or text messages will now be received by somebody else.
Landline Phone Numbers
A PAC Code can only be used to transfer UK mobile phone numbers. These are numbers beginning with 07. There’s a different system for UK landline numbers (numbers beginning with 01 or 02). If you’re moving to another house within the same area code (e.g. Oxford 01865), your landline number can be transferred to a new address. If you’re moving to a house that’s located in a different area code, BT can divert your phone calls at some additional charge. See the BT website for information on their Home Mover service.
Text Messages, Phone Book & Other Personal Data
After using a PAC Code, your old SIM card will be disabled and will no longer function. If any text messages or phone numbers are saved on your old SIM card, you should make a copy of these before the number transfer takes place. On most modern smartphones, text messages and phone numbers are now stored on internal memory rather than the SIM. Regardless, you’ll still need to transfer data to your new mobile phone. We’ve got an in-depth guide to transferring your data from iPhone to Android, from BlackBerry to Android and between two Android devices.
More Information
For a step-by-step guide that takes you through the whole process, try our PAC Code Finder.
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Related posts:
Data Visualisation: How are people switching between networks?
Compare Pay As You Go Networks: Prices & Coverage
How to transfer your phone book, calendar & photos from BlackBerry to Android
The post PAC Codes: How to transfer your mobile number when switching networks appeared first on Ken's Tech Tips.
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